Find out how popular the last name Sway is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sway.

Sway, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sway surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sway in America

Sway is the 112568th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sway surname appeared 156 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sway.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sway to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sway

The surname "SWAY" is believed to have originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, specifically in the region of Swaythling, which is now part of the city of Southampton. The name is derived from the Old English words "swathe" meaning a track or path, and "ling" meaning a meadow or heathland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Swathelinge". This entry refers to a settlement in the county of Hampshire, which was likely the ancestral home of the Sway family.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Sway was particularly prevalent in the southern counties of England, such as Hampshire, Dorset, and Wiltshire. It is believed that the first recorded bearer of the name was Robert de Swaythling, who lived in the late 12th century and was a landowner in the village of Swaythling.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled as "Swey". This variation in spelling was common during this period, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.

One notable figure in the history of the Sway surname was Sir John Sway, who was born in 1425 and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1490. He was a prominent merchant and played a significant role in the city's governance during the late 15th century.

Another individual of note was William Sway, who lived in the 16th century and was a renowned scholar and translator. He is best known for his English translation of Plutarch's "Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans", which was published in 1579.

In the 17th century, the Sway family had a presence in the English colonies in North America. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the New World is that of Thomas Sway, who was born in 1635 and settled in Virginia.

The 18th century saw the rise of the Sway family in the field of politics and public service. John Sway, born in 1712, was a member of the British Parliament and served as the Secretary of State for the Southern Department from 1768 to 1770.

Finally, in the 19th century, the name Sway gained recognition in the literary world with the author and poet Elizabeth Sway, who was born in 1842 and published several collections of poetry and essays during her lifetime.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sway

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sway.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sway was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sway has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sway was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sway, please contact us.

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